


Lie To Me

by AislingKaye



Series: My Soul Reason Is You [3]
Category: The Losers - All Media Types, 幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files
Genre: Dom/sub Undertones, F/F, Genkai Is So Done, I do not like Clay, M/M, Soulmate AU, Why Did I Write This?, but I don't, crackships that somehow work, i don't know why, like how, like very minor very subtle undertones, rated for language, yes those pairings are correct
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 07:49:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8658583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AislingKaye/pseuds/AislingKaye
Summary: Continuation of the Cougar/Kurama soulmate AU from "My Soul Reason Is You".Started from "22, Carlos ‘Cougar’ Alvarez/Yoko Kurama|Shuichi Minamino (the one where it’s impossible to lie to your soulmate)"Contains additional crossover pairings that I am surprised actually work.





	

Yōko Kurama didn’t know how he’d ended up so far from anywhere familiar, but it was clear he was no longer in the Makai or Japan. The lack of toxic miasma typical to the Makai, and the lack of the smog of Tokyo, made it very clear he was not where he was supposed to be.

He retook his human form as soon as he realised he was not in the Makai, a faint moue of distaste twisting his lips briefly at the diminished senses that accompanied the change. He didn’t know where he was, but he knew it was the Ningenkai, not the Reikai or Makai.

 ** _“I suppose I should try to find a town,”_** he mused aloud, green eyes drifting across his surroundings. He had a communicator and a cell phone, but it would be easier to figure a way to get back to Japan if he knew exactly where he was.

‘In the middle of a jungle’ was not an at all helpful description, after all.

 

The Losers’ world had gone to shit since arriving in Bolivia. Still, the appearance of a well-dressed redheaded man just casually walking out of the jungle into town without a scratch on him was something to note and be alarmed about.

Cougar, being the most non-threatening in appearance of their team (bar Jake, but he stood out too much in this little town), was the one to approach the stranger, who appeared to be growing frustrated over being unable to understand anyone talking to him.

“English?” Cougar asked, and the redhead lit up in a way that made him look unfairly attractive.

“Yes, some,” he replied, his voice heavily accented. Now that Cougar was able to see the man’s face, the sniper was able to detect Asiatic features that seemed at odds with his green eyes and blood-red hair. “Where am I?”

Cougar’s eyebrows rose, the only expression of shock he would show.

“You walk out of the jungle without a scratch and don’t know where you are?”

“Ah, my arrival was… accidental,” the redhead admitted. “I do not know how I got here.” He paused, frowned very faintly, and opened his mouth to speak again – only to freeze when no words came out. Green eyes widened, something like panic forming on his face.

Cougar was no idiot, he could put the pieces together.

“Come with me. We should continue this out of public,” he stated, and with a nod the redhead followed.

 

Kurama was cursing the technicalities of his name as he followed the other man to a small house on the edges of the village. He’d tried to tell the man his human name, but as he no longer felt that it was his name it was technically a lie.

That meant that this man was probably his soulmate.

Of all the luck…

 

“Sit,” Cougar gestured to the battered couch in the house he was sharing with his team, and when the redhead did so he sat opposite him in a rickety chair taken from the kitchen. “Talk.”

“I was attempting to introduce myself, however I have two names, one of which I do not identify with,” the redhead explained. “Legally that name is mine, and it is the one I use to introduce myself.” He sighed, green eyes shutting briefly. “That name is Shuichi Minamino, but the name I consider mine is Kurama.” Cougar nodded.

“I am Carlos Alvarez, my team call me Cougar,” he returned. Kurama nodded, then tilted his head to the side.

“If you do not mind… could you lie to me? I need to know for certain before I reveal anything more about myself.”

Without thinking too hard about what he would lie about, Cougar opened his mouth to do just that—

—and nothing came out.

Kurama smiled, and the expression made him look even more (unfairly) pretty than he already did.

“Well, who would have thought?” he murmured. “It is good to finally meet you, Cougar. You would not believe how long I have been waiting to meet my soulmate.”

Cougar frowned – Kurama couldn’t be much past twenty, how long could he have possibly been waiting?

“Where are we?” Kurama asked again, and Cougar told him without thinking too hard on it. Kurama nodded, pulled what looked like a girl’s makeup compact out of one of his pockets, flipped it open and started speaking Japanese.

And someone actually replied.

What the hell?

 

Communicator out, Kurama wasted no time in contacting his friends.

 ** _“Botan. Kurama here. Any chance of a pick up?”_** he asked with a polite smile.

 ** _“Kurama! You disappeared on us! Where are you?”_** Botan sounded frantic, looked it too, and Kurama’s smile softened.

**_“I apologise for worrying you. Hiei should be able to find me – I am in Bolivia.”_ **

**_“Bolivia!”_ **

**_“Yes. And…”_** Kurama trailed off, glancing up at his soulmate and then back down to the screen. **_“I found my soulmate.”_**

 ** _“Oh! Congratulations, Kurama!”_** Botan practically cheered at the information. **_“I’m so happy for you!”_**

**_“Thank you.”_ **

**_“I’m sending Hiei and Kuwabara to collect you – are you out of plain sight?”_ **

**_“Yes, I am. I’ll see you soon, Botan.”_ **

**_“Bye~!”_ **

 

Kurama shut the communicator and returned his attention to his wary soulmate, switching back to English.

“My friends will be here soon. Unfortunately, I cannot stay here. Would you be willing to come with me?”

“I can’t leave my team,” Cougar said quietly. Getting out of this place would be a blessing, but he couldn’t leave the rest of the Losers here. Especially not Jake or Pooch. Clay could burn, for all he cared – his revenge kick was causing Jake and Pooch no end of grief – and while he didn’t exactly want to leave Roque on his own, the man could take care of himself.

“You have said that before… your team?” Kurama questioned.

“We’re a special operations team. We were betrayed by our handler and are on the run,” Cougar admitted.

“Oh. Well…” Kurama trailed off with a thoughtful hum. “If they are all willing to come with us, we can get all of you out of here and set about clearing your names.”

“And how do you propose to do that?” Clay growled from the doorway. Cougar stiffened, not having heard him (or the rest of the Losers, behind his C.O.) arrive, but Kurama was completely calm as he stood and inclined his head in greeting.

“I have… _connections_. I will not say more here, but should you decide to give me benefit of doubt I can explain in full later.”

“You’ll explain now,” Clay snarled, and Kurama raised an eyebrow. He looked completely unimpressed and unintimidated, and Cougar approved.

“I will not.” His head tilted, and his eyes flicked to the window. “Hiei, stop lurking.”

“I was not ‘lurking’ damn fox,” a deep voice stated, and the Losers all spun around to stare at the small black-haired man crouched on the windowsill. “The idiot is on his way.”

“You really should be nicer to him, Hiei,” Kurama sighed, but a smile was curving his lips. “It is good to see you.”

“Hn.”

“Who the hell are you and how did you get here?” Clay demanded. Red eyes flicked over to him, and Hiei snorted.

“You are in no position to demand answers from me,” he sneered, slipping off the windowsill into the room. The way he moved was strange, as if constantly holding himself back.

“Hiei, be polite,” Kurama chided.

“No. Are you done playing human?”

Wait, what?

 

-0-0-0-

 

Kurama sighed as two guns were instantly pointed his way, turning a glare on Hiei. His soulmate had stiffened at Hiei’s words, growing wary, and Kurama had not wanted that. Damn Hiei and his impatience.

 _“You’re an ass,”_ he said in Makai-speech, making Hiei raise an eyebrow at him in a most unimpressed manner. The humans flinched at the guttural, inhuman language, their long-buried instinctual reaction to encountering something so much more powerful than they coming to the fore.

 _“If you intend to keep your mate with you, you will need to tell him sooner or later,”_ the apparition replied in kind.

Kurama sighed again, shaking his head.

 ** _“You’re an ass,”_** he said again, switching to Japanese and then turning his attention to the humans and changing language again. “Shooting me will do nothing but irritate me, so I would suggest saving your bullets,” he said coldly, allowing just a fraction of his yōki to leak into the air. The two not-his-mate men without guns took noticeable steps back, and the two aiming at him visibly wavered. Kurama let a fraction more of his power free, eyes starting to glow and hair starting to sway with the invisible force of it.

“What the fuck are you?” Clay growled, arm shaking, and Kurama allowed a smirk to curl his lips. Silver-white began to streak through his hair, eyes lightening and shifting closer to gold. He was being a tad dramatic, but he was a _kitsune_. Of course he was dramatic.

“Kurama,” Hiei said, and with a laugh – who would have thought _Hiei_ would ever tell him to stop intimidating humans – Kurama suppressed his yōki once more. The silver-white in his hair returned to red, and his eyes became fully green once again.

Before he could say or do anything more, Kuwabara hoisted himself up through the window and glared at Hiei.

 ** _“You weren’t supposed to leave me behind, shorty,”_** the human redhead grouched, and Hiei gave a roll of his eyes.

**_“Does it matter? You’re here, aren’t you?”_ **

**_“If the two of you could flirt later, it would be most appreciated,”_** Kurama interjected before his friends could get into the flow of their usual interactions. Both of them glared at him instead of each other, but Hiei’s cheeks had gone pink despite his tan and Kuwabara’s ears were red. Kurama just offered a small smile, one which promised pain to any adversary, and returned his attention to the humans. He noticed his soulmate’s face had gone eerily blank, and lamented that he had shown his darker side – even if it was only a glimpse – so soon. Hopefully his soulmate would not reject him because of it.

 

“Some answers, now!” Clay barked, and Kurama’s smile turned sharp. Enough was enough. He would not play human for the peace-of-mind of this rude man.

“You do not get to make demands of me,” he said softly, making Kuwabara’s eyes widen. He stepped back towards the window, and Kurama was somewhat gratified to see that his soulmate’s team were starting to realise he was not to be messed with. Speaking of…

Kurama turned towards Cougar, all hints of malice vanishing immediately.

“I did not wish for you to see this side of me so soon,” he admitted quietly. “However, I am swiftly losing my patience with your… friend.” Kurama released his tight restraints on his yōki, and his form morphed instantly. Now a solid seven feet tall, golden eyes glaring down at Clay, the kitsune made for an intimidating (if somewhat ephemeral) figure.

Cougar’s eyes widened, and he heard Pooch curse as Jake yelped. Roque also swore, taking a step back – the first sign of retreat Cougar had ever seen from the man outside of orders.

“Oh, hell no, you fucked up, Clay,” Roque shook his head and holstered his gun.

“Roque!”

“Nuh-uh, no way, I am not messin’ with demons, not even for you, man!”

“Demons?” Jake squeaked.

“Uh, they’re, uh, yōkai, not, like, Christian-type demons,” Kuwabara said haltingly. His English was usually good, but he’d never really had to translate the concept of yōkai before. It didn’t exactly come up in everyday conversation. “Uh, I don’t really know how to put it in English…”

“There is no direct translation, as far as I am aware,” Kurama interjected calmly, voice as always deeper than it was in his human guise. “Otherworldly being, mysterious being, demon, apparition, spirit, monster – all are correct but not all-encompassing.”

“You’re a fox demon,” Roque said flatly. “Shapeshifter.”

“Somewhat,” Kurama conceded. “My talents lie more with plants.” His tail flicked, the only sign of his slight impatience, and he turned his eyes on Hiei, who huffed and folded his arms. “Hiei.”

“No.”

“I am not asking.”

“Hey, back off, Kurama,” Kuwabara protested with a growl, clenching his fists and stepping closer to the yōko. “Didn’t you want to get outta here?”

 _“I do not wish to leave my mate behind, and if scaring his team into compliance allows that then so be it,”_ Kurama snarled back. The only human who didn’t flinch was the one his words were aimed at, and Kurama took a deep breath to calm himself. He never wanted his mate to flinch from him like that…

“You know I don’t understand Makai-speak,” Kuwabara glared. “Stop being a stubborn idiot.”

“You’re one to talk,” Hiei said dryly, breaking through the tension with ease. Kurama snorted and relaxed as Kuwabara gave a squawk of protest. The oppressive feel of Kurama’s yōki faded, and he shut his eyes to bring a hand over them.

“I apologise,” he said quietly. He offered no explanations, having none beyond impatience and an almost possessive desire to get his mate into safe territory. This little town was ringing warning bells constantly. “I am… uneasy with this town.” He dropped his hand, reverting to his human-looking form.

“Urameshi’s on standby, said if we took too long he was gonna come get us whether we wanted it or not,” Kuwabara offered into the rather awkward silence that had fallen. “So we should get goin’.”

“Yes, yes,” Kurama gave a little wave of one hand. He looked to Cougar, who had not relaxed since Kurama’s snarl, and unwittingly his eyes dropped to the floor. What could he say that he hadn’t already?

Hiei gave a thoughtful hum, and when Kurama glanced at him he wasn’t surprised to find carmine eyes looking back at him.

“Go,” Hiei said. “Wait on the outskirts of town. We will catch up.”

“…very well.” With one final glance at his soulmate, Kurama turned and exited the house through the window his two friends had entered by.

 

Once he was sure the damn fox was out of hearing range, Hiei turned his full attention on the humans.

“There is a woman in this town planning to use you to avenge her father’s death and then she plans to kill you all. Your leader, there,” Hiei gestured to the human who had yet to put away his firearm, “Is her main target. I don’t care about any of you one way or another, but you,” he pointed at Kurama’s soulmate, “Are Kurama’s soulmate. I owe him. So I’m going to repeat his offer. Come with us and we’ll get your names cleared.”

“And why should we believe you?” the humans’ leader demanded. Hiei snorted.

“I do not care if you believe me or not. It’s your funeral.” He left, moving at half his usual speed and going straight to where Kurama was waiting.

 

Kazuma sighed when his soulmate left in a blur of black, shaking his head.

“He probably won’t like me tellin’ ya this, but Hiei can read minds,” he explained to the started humans. “That’s how he knows what that lady’s plannin’. I’m a bit psychic an’ this town’s givin’ me the shivers, so I’d listen ta Hiei if I was you.”

“Psychic?” the leader asked, his voice so doubtful that Kazuma was kinda surprised he wasn’t sneering.

“Yeah, so’s my sister,” Kazuma nodded. “It runs in the family.” He directed his attention and next words to Kurama’s soulmate. “Look, Kurama’s been waitin’ centuries to meet his soulmate, an’ I never seen him so flustered as you make him. He’s always mister cool and collected even when he’s angry. He’s worried ‘bout you an’ it shows. Consider it? We’ll be ta the north for another hour an’ then we’re leavin’.”

“…I will consider my options,” Kurama’s soulmate said, and Kazuma nodded once more.

“Right, well, I better get goin’. Make up ya mind quick, alright?”

He left the same way his soulmate and Kurama had, although albeit at a much slower pace.

 

Cougar stared after the ginger man until he was out of sight, brow furrowed ever-so-slightly in thought. Yes, Kurama had been… intimidating… in his anger, and the revelation that he wasn’t even human was… well, a shock.

But at the same time… his soulmate hadn’t tried to lie to him past that first introduction. And to be honest, he was sick of barely scraping by in this tiny village, waiting for everything to come crashing down on them once again.

The guilt and pain he felt about the children who’d been in the chopper when it went down was still strong, but perhaps letting someone in, someone like his soulmate, would help to ease it a little…

“Alvarez!” Clay barked, and Cougar blinked slowly before turning his attention to his CO – no, his _former_ CO.

“I am going with them,” he decided aloud.

Clay’s jaw dropped open, and Cougar absently tucked the mental image away to amuse himself with later.

“Oh, good, I was hoping so ‘cause I don’t think they’ll let me come with if you don’t,” Jake babbled, and Cougar’s lips twitched slightly at his friend’s usual speech pattern returning. “I want to go home, I wanna see Jess and Beth, and I’m so sick of this place _oh my god—_ ”

“Jake, man, shut up,” Pooch interrupted. “I’m comin’ too. I wanna get back to my Jolene.”

“They’re strong demons in the human world and haven’t been kicked back to the demon world yet for whatever reason. I’m pretty damn sure they can follow up with their promises,” Roque snorted.

Cougar gave a tiny smile, so small and fleeting most would miss it, and got calmly to his feet even as Clay continued to gape at his former team.

“I’m going,” he reiterated, and walked right past Clay to gather his meagre belongings.

His team – his family – followed.

 

Kurama tilted his head slightly as he heard Kuwabara’s familiar footsteps approach, having already sensed the human making his way towards Kurama and Hiei.

**_“I talked to them.”_ **

**_“You did not have to, Kuwabara.”_ **

**_“Yeah, well, I wanted to. I think, except for that over-aggressive leader of theirs, they’re all gonna come with us.”_ **

**_“Hm.”_** Kurama hummed non-committedly. **_“We’ll see.”_**

The three of them went silent, Hiei fitting himself against Kuwabara’s side with a look that dared the others to make something of it, and settled in to wait.

 

They weren’t waiting long.

Kurama was the first to sense them, Hiei being somewhat distracted by Kuwabara’s admittedly comforting presence and the human in turn being quite captivated by the demon tucked against him, and his head turned just enough for him to see the four approaching men from the corner of his eye. He didn’t allow himself to hope that his soulmate was just going to accept everything he’d said and done, but at least this way he could be sure his soulmate would be _safe_.

“Clay does not trust your words,” Cougar said as he and his team came to a halt a few metres from the two demons and Kuwabara. “He is unlikely to join us.”

“The idiot’s obsessed with revenge,” the man who had known of demons growled out. “Friend or not, former CO or not, I ain’t dying for revenge.”

“That is a fair call,” Kurama said dryly. “I didn’t get your names earlier,” he added with a faint frown.

“Jake Jensen, William Roque, Linwood Porteous,” Cougar waved a hand at each man in turn.

“Roque’s fine,” Roque grumbled.

“Just call me Pooch,” Linwood – Pooch – shook his head. “Ain’t nobody but my ma and wife call me Linwood.”

“I am Kurama, this is Hiei and his partner Kazuma Kuwabara,” Kurama introduced himself properly to his soulmate’s friends. “I am also, on occasion, called Shuichi Minamino.”

“Mostly we just call him Kurama,” Kuwabara offered cheerily. “Call me Kuwabara.”

“Well, are we leaving or not?” Hiei asked testily, scowling around at them all.

“Ah, so impatient, my friend,” Kurama teased lightly, his usual smile in place, and when Hiei glared at him gave an innocent look. “But I believe we can leave now, yes.”

 

The swirling, hovering patch of light that came into existence in front of them was probably the freakiest thing Cougar had ever seen. He wouldn’t normally use ‘freaky’ as a descriptor, but there wasn’t really any other word that fit.

“What the hell is that?” Jake blurted out.

“A portal to Rekai – the Spirit World,” Kurama replied with a smile. “We need to go there first, and then we’ll go through another to return to Japan.”

“Return?” Pooch frowned. He wasn’t the only one to catch tat, but he was the one to speak up about it.

“Yes. We live there. And once we’re there – humans shouldn’t stay in the Spirit World too long – we can set about getting your names cleared. Lord Koenma will have the information we need to find who framed you all and bring them to justice. In the meantime, we will make sure you are all safe for the time being.”

“How?”

“We will tell you later. Please, we do not wish to leave the portal open too long.”

“Fine.”

 

The Spirit World was… strange. There wasn’t really another word for it. It was just completely and utterly strange, very unlike the world they were used to.

“What the fuck, man?” Pooch hissed as a bouncy, bubbly blue-haired girl in a pink kimono bounded up to them with an oar in one hand.

“Hi!” she chirped. She was the very image of ‘perky’.  “I’m Botan, one of the pilots of the River Styx. I’m also Lord Koenma’s assistant and one of the liaisons between the three realms.”

“Hi,” Jake grinned back at her, almost bouncing in one spot the same way she was. “I’m Jake!”

“I know~!” Botan chirped. “It’s my job to know these things,” she added with a grin when the rest of the Losers stiffened. “Come along, we can’t open the second portal here but if you’ll follow me we can get to it pretty fast and get you all on your way to Genkai’s shrine.”

“Who is Genkai?” Cougar asked.

“The most powerful psychic in the world. She has a shrine and has agreed to put you up there until we can clear your names. Just be warned, she may force you into physical training”

“We’re Special Forces operatives, ma’am,” Roque said in a scarily respectful voice. “Training isn’t going to put us off.”

“Well, we’ll see” Botan hummed with a doubtful look on her face. “Come along!”

 

The second portal, as strange as the first, spat them out at the base of a huge set of stone stairs. Hiei started up them immediately, Kuwabara close behind, and left Kurama standing with the four human Spec Ops soldiers at the base.

“Genkai does not allow any supernatural forms of travel to enter her shrine grounds,” the fox demon explained calmly. “We have to take the long way. If you hear screams, please do not be alarmed, it is likely Genkai training our friend Yusuke. He has been in Makai – the Demon World – for a few years now, and Genkai insists he has been slacking on his training.”

“Who is this Genkai? That girl – Botan, was it?” Pooch was frowning slightly.

“Yes.”

“Botan said she was a powerful psychic… what does that have to do with physical training?”

“Ah, well, you see, a person’s spiritual power often increases with physical strength. It isn’t always proportional – if a person does not have the potential for their spiritual power to grow past a certain level, all the physical training in the world will not make a difference. Genkai is acknowledged and feared as one of the most powerful fighters and psychics in the world. Her apprentice, Yusuke Urameshi, is also feared for his power, but he is young and has yet to gain as much infamy as Genkai has.” Kurama smiled in a way that had nearly all the humans breaking out in goosebumps. “Come, we have a long climb ahead of us.”

 

It was, yes, a long climb. A few thousand steps, if Jake’s comments were anything to go by. The tech did have a habit of counting steps, especially when he had nothing else to occupy his mind, but for once Roque wasn’t snarling at Jake to shut up. Cougar privately thought that the man had gotten just a touch out-of-shape during their time in that little village, and so was too winded to tell Jake to shut up.

Reaching the top of the steps and entering the shrine proper was something of a relief. Hiei and Kuwabara were waiting on the front porch – or what would be considered one – but when they saw the Losers and Kurama they both moved inside instantly.

And a tiny elderly woman with greying pink hair stepped outside to size them up.

 

“Kurama,” the elderly woman greeted. “I hear you found your soulmate. About time, isn’t it?”

“Apparently it was just the right time, Genkai,” Kurama replied easily, seemingly unfazed by the woman’s caustic tone and words. “Yusuke told you?”

“The dimwit’s passed out inside. It was Botan, that little meddler,” Genkai snorted. “Well, come on, inside with you,” she barked at the Losers, tone making the four of them almost snap to attention – they were more used to hearing that particular tone from drill sergeants and commanders than from a tiny old woman.

From the way Genkai smirked, Cougar was certain she knew exactly what that tone had done to them. He might actually like this woman.

 

Once inside, Kurama separated from his soulmate and said soulmate’s team, following the familiar scent of his human-turned-demon friend in order to find Yusuke. He knew Yusuke was back in the human world for a few years, and he wanted to introduce the young man to his soulmate. Yusuke was a friend, one of the few Kurama actually considered as such, and so he wanted his friend and soulmate to meet and get along.

Yusuke was, as Genkai had said, passed out. He was sprawled in a very uncomfortable-looking position beside the most-used _chabudai_ in the building, Yukina standing guard. She was seated at the low table sipping tea, and offered Kurama a smile when he entered the room.

 ** _“You are back safely,”_** she greeted him. **_“Where did you go?”_**

 ** _“Bolivia, apparently,”_** Kurama replied with a smile of his own. **_“I met my soulmate. How long has Yusuke been sleeping?”_**

 ** _“Almost an hour now,”_** Yukina said after glancing at the clock. **_“You met your soulmate?”_**

**_“Yes.”_ **

**_“Congratulations, then.”_ **

**_“Thank you.”_ **

Kurama stretched out a foot and nudged Yusuke, stepping to the side as the young man came up swinging.

 ** _“Yusuke,”_** he said simply, and the former Spirit Detective blinked sleepily at him.

 ** _“Oh, hey, Kurama,”_** Yusuke yawned and stretched. **_“When did you get back?”_**

**_“Just now. Genkai is running you ragged?”_ **

**_“Doesn’t she always?”_** Yusuke snorted. **_“So I hear you found your soulmate over in some random jungle.”_**

**_“Yes, I did.”_ **

**_“Huh. And I thought the weird shit was limited to me.”_ **

**_“Yusuke, ‘weird shit’ has been happening to me since before you were born,”_** Kurama responded dryly, and Yusuke laughed.

**_“Yeah, I guess. So where’s this soulmate of yours?”_ **

**_“With his teammates,”_** Hiei answered instead of Kurama, entering the room with Kuwabara not far behind him. **_“Genkai is herding them this way.”_**

**_“Teammates?”_ **

**_“They’re a special forces team from America,”_** Kurama explained quietly. **_“They were framed for something and need to hide until their names are cleared.”_**

 ** _“Huh,”_** Yusuke gave a half-shrug. **_“Wasn’t expecting that, but alright then. Don’t suppose they speak Japanese?”_**

**_“No, but I know your English is good enough to get by, and I know you still have the translator Koenma gave you for the Dark Tournament.”_ **

Yusuke sighed, and, sure enough, dug his translator out of his pocket and shoved it in his ear.

“Fine,” he said, switching to English just as Genkai practically shoved Kurama’s soulmate and his team into the room.

 

“Dimwit, get outside before I drag you out there! You got time to stand around chatting you got time to train.” Genkai barked at Yusuke, who rolled his eyes.

“Gimme a break, old hag, I’ve just woken up!” he snapped back at her. He then yelped as she grabbed his ear, twisted, and dragged him down to her level. “Ow ow ow ow!”

“What was that, my dimwitted apprentice?”

“I said give me a break!” Yusuke repeated, turning his head as far as he was able to glare at Genkai. “Sadist!”

“Idiot.”

“Old hag!”

“Brat.”

“Hell-trainer!”

“Lazy moron!”

Kurama cleared his throat when it became clear that the pair weren’t going to stop their double act any time soon, causing both of them to turn glares his way. He raised his eyebrows.

“And I thought you only acted this way when you did not have guests,” he said mildly, making Yusuke scowl and Genkai give an amused snort.

“One of them’s your soulmate and they’re hiding out here until the legwork’s done to clear their names. They’re not guests.”

“You’re going to put them through the hell-training too, aren’t you?” Yusuke deadpanned.

Genkai just smirked.

 

-0-0-0-

 

Two days later, Cougar had realised what Yusuke meant by ‘hell training’. He had also learned why Botan had given them uncertain looks when Roque had claimed they could manage Genkai’s training without problem. She’d given them a pitying look when she had come by to give them some incredibly advanced technology, which apparently worked in the mind and not by voice, and translated your words as they left your mouth.

But, back to Genkai.

The woman was scary, intense and insane.

Jake, of course, adored her, the crazy idiot. Cougar was admittedly quite fond of her too. Pooch constantly cussed her out, which she returned full-fire to the clear amusement of Yusuke, who Cougar understood to be Genkai’s apprentice and usual target. Roque was… well, prior to meeting Kurama and learning demons existed, Cougar would never have thought it possible, but… Roque was _cowed_ by the woman. It was just plain _odd_.

The main issue Cougar had with Genkai’s training wasn’t the snake pit or the insane physical tasks – it was the lack of time to speak with his soulmate. He wanted to learn more about Kurama, get to know him and actually apologise for flinching from him the day they met.

He didn’t know if Kurama knew he’d seen the look on the fox demon’s face when Cougar had flinched, but he had and he had felt almost instantly guilty for it. He knew that the demon hadn’t intended them harm, had known it even then, but the animalistic snarl had been intimidating to hear.

Cougar wanted to apologise, but because of Genkai’s hell-training he _couldn’t_.

Damn it.

 

Kurama was culling some of the demon plants in the forest on Genkai’s property when he felt the approach of two very familiar demons. A smile formed on his face without conscious thought, and he moved out of the greenery to wait for their arrival.

“Jin, Tōya,” he greeted when the two ex-shinobi appeared at the top of the stairs. “It is good to see you.”

“Kurama,” Tōya inclined his head politely. “You are well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Hey, Kurama! Is Urameshi around? He owes me a fight, he does,” Jin grinned, bouncing on his toes like a child. Kurama’s smile widened slightly.

“Yes, he is, Jin. Genkai has him climbing the mountain again.”

“Ah, she’s a hard taskmaster, that Genkai. I don’t think I be wantin’ to interrupt in case she makes me join in!”

Kurama laughed.

“Yo, Kurama,” Roque called, and the fox demon turned to see the four Losers in various states of disarray making their way out of the forest. Cougar, thankfully, seemed fine, if a bit ruffled, but Pooch and Roque were supporting a dazed-looking and bleeding Jake between them. They too looked ruffled but otherwise fine, although Pooch was sporting a limp.

“What in the world did you run into?” Kurama asked, bewildered. The area Genkai had sent the Losers into hadn’t been one of the dangerous ones, at least comparatively, so he was stumped as to what could have caused Jake such injuries.

“Some sort of bat-creature,” Cougar offered, looking tired as Roque and Pooch helped Jake towards the shrine’s main building. “He was… very fast.”

“Likely Baldok, then,” Kurama guessed, frowning faintly. “Although he should not be in the area Genkai sent you.” He moved closer to his soulmate, hesitating only briefly before reaching out to lightly touch Cougar’s scraped cheek. “Are you well?”

“I’m fine. Jake took the brunt of it.” Kurama nodded and relaxed, allowing his hand to linger just a bit longer before dropping it to his side once more.

“I’m fine!” Jake slurred, waving one arm a bit wildly and almost hitting Pooch over the head.

“You are slurring, possibly concussed, and bleeding rather heavily, I do not think you are ‘fine’,” Tōya said dryly.

“I—urk!” Jake broke off, opening and closing his mouth a few times soundlessly before his dazed mind caught up. “Oh, fuck me!”

“N…” Tōya halted, words not coming out, and a look of realisation formed on his usually-stoic face. “Not in front of an audience,” he said, instead of what he must have intended to say. “Jin, lie to him.”

“What?”

“Jin. Lie. To. Him.” The air started to chill as Tōya glared at his partner. Kurama had a suspicion of what was happening, but he didn’t speak out. It wasn’t his place.

“Ah, alright, alright, no need to get cold,” Jin cheerily flapped his hands at Tōya and then turned to Jake and tilted his head to the side. He opened his mouth, but nothing emerged. A stunned look crossed his face, followed by realisation and then a bright smile. “Oh!”

 

“I’m usually not slow, but I’m lost here,” Pooch muttered, glancing between his dazed-yet-smiling teammate and the two new demons.

“They’re soulmates, idiot,” Roque snorted.

“That seems to be the case, yes,” Tōya murmured. He moved across the space between them and knelt in front of Jake’s seated, bleeding form. “It is good to meet you. I am Tōya, and this is Jin.”

“Jake Jensen,” Jake managed, eyes flitting between the two. “You’re both really pretty.”

“…thank you?” Tōya half-asked. “I believe that is the concussion speaking.” Cougar snorted quietly.

“That is not the concussion,” he said loud enough for Tōya and Jin to hear.

“That’s just Jensen,” Roque added, shaking his head. “Is that healer girl here, Kurama? The idiot will probably bleed to death before he remembers to ask for help.”

“Yukina is inside, yes,” Kurama gave a small nod. “I would recommend knocking before entering the kitchen, I believe Shizuru is visiting.”

“Right,” Roque said after a moment of confusion. “Oh, and go flirt with Cougar somewhere else, it’s just weird to see him looking sappy.”

“Roque!” Cougar snarled as Roque vanished into the building, and Kurama noticed that his cheeks and the tips of his ears had gone pink. Cute.

“He’s kinda right,” Pooch offered hesitantly, getting a wordless snarl from Cougar that had him holding up his hands as if to ward off the incensed sniper.

Kurama chuckled.

 

After seeing Jake to the little healer-demon-girl, Roque went in search of Genkai. Pooch was resting, having twisted his ankle, and Cougar had stalked off after Kurama once Jake was getting healed.

So it was left to Roque to tell Genkai of the man-bat Baldok who had injured Jake and caused Pooch to be hurt.

He followed the now-familiar sound of Yusuke’s swearing, not entirely surprised to find himself staring up a cliff face at where the young man was currently clinging to a sheer wall with two massive lead balls chained to his ankles. Yusuke had told him of Genkai’s preferred torture-training, and Roque had seen it in action over the previous couple of days.

“You are back early,” Genkai said, and Roque barely managed not to flinch at the sudden way she had appeared beside him.

“Got attacked by something Kurama said was called ‘Baldok’,” Roque shrugged. “Jensen’s getting his head and other wounds looked at, and Pooch rolled an ankle. Cougar’s finally worked up the guts to talk to Kurama, so I’m the one telling you about the man-bat-thing.”

“Hm. I’ll send the dimwit to beat some sense into the stupid bat again. Jensen is alone?”

“No, two demon guys were there when we got back. Turns out they’re Jensen’s soulmates.”

“Huh. Who’d have thought… Jin and Tōya?”

“Yeah.”

“Hm, that’ll be interesting to see develop.” Genkai rolled her eyes as Yusuke started screaming curses at her again. “Go help the dimwit down. I’m going to have lunch.”

Roque laughed as the elderly woman walked off, and then started towards Yusuke. At least things were interesting here…

 

Cougar had finally managed to get some time to speak with Kurama, and for once he was unable to say something when he actually wanted to. He watched as Kurama fiddled with the same plant for a solid five minutes, trying to get his thoughts to actually leave his head and emerge in words. Kurama was avoiding him, and if he was right it was because of his reaction the first day they met.

Kurama thought that Cougar was afraid of him.

“I am not scared of you, you realise?” he blurted finally.

Kurama’s head snapped up, startled green eyes meeting his own dark, dark brown.

“Oh. I… thought my… more primal side had, well, intimidated you,” Kurama said softly, finally moving away from his plant and towards Cougar. He hesitated, as he had earlier, but then he reached out and touched Cougar’s cheek lightly. “You truly do not fear me?”

“No.” Cougar was certain of that. “I do not fear you. Is that why you have been avoiding me?”

“Yes,” Kurama admitted, hand starting to drop. Cougar raised his own and held Kurama’s to his cheek, meeting again-surprised green eyes without hesitation or doubt. “Oh. Do you… want this?”

“Do you?” Cougar countered. Kurama’s eyes took on golden flecks, features starting to blur as his physical form shifted. He continued to hold Kurama’s hand to his cheek even as the demon in front of him shifted and changed to the golden-eyed, seven-foot, silver-haired figure from three days prior.

“If I did not want you, Carlos Alvarez, I would have let you know,” Kurama rumbled, his voice again deeper in a way that sent a thrill through the sniper. “Now, answer my question. Do you want this? Do you want _me_?”

Cougar didn’t even have to think about it.

“ _Si_.”

 

“Well, he does not have a concussion,” Yukina said as she pulled her hands back from where she had had them on Jake’s head. “Just a bump. And there is not as much blood loss as I feared,” she added, smiling at those waiting for her verdict on Jake’s health. “He will be fine with rest and food.”

“Thank you, Yukina,” Tōya said softly. She smiled brightly at the former shinobi.

“You’re welcome!” She left the room, and Jake blinked the remaining fuzziness from his eyes to look around at those still with him. His team had left him in Yukina’s capable hands, but Jin and Tōya had remained as he was healed.

And now that he was clear-headed, if a bit tired from the day’s torture-training, he wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He’d never actually thought he’d meet his soulmate (or, apparently, soulmates as in plural) but he’d also thought that if he ever did he wouldn’t know it unless they tried to lie to him.

Thinking of… what _had_ Tōya meant to say when he changed his response to Jake’s blurted ‘fuck me’ to ‘not in front of an audience’?

Jin’s laughter and the blush forming over Tōya’s nose and cheeks alerted Jake that he’d said that last bit out loud, and he shrugged a little sheepishly.

“Sorry, my brain to mouth filter’s not great,” he admitted. “But I’m curious.”

“I was going to say ‘no thanks’,” Tōya muttered, and Jin’s laughter increased as Jake processed that.

“Oh,” the human managed. “Well, um, it’s a bit soon in the relationship but I’d be totally up for it in the future?”

“Ah, I like ya a lot,” Jin chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes even as his ears wiggled – and that was _fascinating_ and Jake _definitely_ wanted to figure that out later – and Tōya cleared his throat in an embarrassed sort of way.

“Yes, well, you are very attractive, and I do not have any objections to a physical or intimate relationship with you,” the smaller of the two demons muttered. “But yes, it is too soon for that.”

“Says the one who had me in bed within a day of meetin’,” Jin smirked, waggling his eyebrows at Tōya and then winking at Jake.

“You were persistent,” Tōya rolled his eyes slightly, and then reached up and tugged Jin down to his level by sliding a hand into the wind-user’s thick red locks. Jin almost dropped to his knees, visibly starting to do so before he managed to stop himself, and Tōya smirked. “And how could I resist you with _that_ response?”

“Oh, wow, okay,” Jake stammered out, eyes wide and a blush forming on his face as he realised just what his soulmates’ dynamics were. “Um, so, maybe not too early after all? I mean if you want me because damn that’s freakin’ _hot_ and I wouldn’t object _at all_ to bein’ part of that, and, um—”

“Breathe,” Tōya ordered, and Jake sucked in a deep breath instantly. Tōya’s smirk softened into a smile. “While I have no objections, you do need to think more on this. We are demons, being in an intimate relationship with us _and_ being our soulmate has consequences that you do not yet know about.”

“I know some of it,” Jake admitted. “Cougar’s soulmate is Kurama and I asked Genkai ‘cause I know Cougs is attracted to Kurama and vice versa and I figured there was something different about demon-human soulmates otherwise that Kuwabara guy wouldn’t have said anything about Cougar needing to talk to Kurama before they did anything and—”

“Breathe,” Tōya ordered again, and once again Jake stopped babbling to suck in a deep breath. He let it out slowly, and grinned a little sheepishly.

“Thanks,” he said, and left it just at that. “So, uh, what do I need to know?”

 

“You look wiped,” Roque smirked down at Yusuke, looming over the sprawled-out form of the younger man. Yusuke lazily flipped him off, and Roque laughed as he reached down to grab the outstretched arm. He hauled Yusuke up, keeping hold of the guy until he was balanced.

“What happened to you?” Yusuke asked instead of responding, and Roque rubbed a hand over the new cut bisecting his old facial scar.

“Man-bat-thing attacked us. Kurama called him Baldok.”

“That old bastard should’ve learned his lesson by now,” Yusuke scowled. “I only beat the crap out of him when I'm here to remind him not to attack at random.”

“Seems like he’s got a short memory.” Roque eyed Yusuke thoughtfully. “You alright, kid?”

“Not a kid, old man,” Yusuke snapped, glowering. Roque grinned, completely unrepentant, and Yusuke snorted. “I’m fine. The old hag’s been putting me through this shit since I was fourteen and human, it’s just habit to cuss her out and complain about it.”

Roque opened his mouth to say something, paused, and then frowned.

“Wait, you’re not human?”

“No one told you?” Yusuke asked in return, seeming genuinely surprised. “Shit, I would’ve thought Kuwbara would spill the beans even if Hiei’s being his usual silent self and Kurama’s avoiding your friend.”

“Apparently not,” Roque drawled, and Yusuke snorted again. He sat down, leaning back on his hands and stretching his legs out in front of him.

“C’mon, sit down, I’m only gonna tell you the short version but it’s still kinda long.”

Roque sat, and Yusuke started talking.

 

Genkai rolled her eyes so hard it actually felt like it took effort, somewhere between amused and exasperated.

“If you’re going to fuck, do it somewhere people won’t be able to sneak up on you,” she told Kurama and Alvarez bluntly, raising her eyebrows at the smirk on the kitsune’s face and the blush on Alvarez’s. Neither of them were unclothed, but they’d been making out pretty heatedly when Genkai interrupted them.

“My apologies,” Kurama said, clearly not at all sorry, and then he grabbed his soulmate and took off deeper into the forest while Alvarez protested vaguely. Genkai snorted.

“Damn kids,” she muttered, and continued on her way to check on the other humans in her care. She knew Porteous wouldn’t be an issue – he was the well-behaved one, and his soulmate was still in the US – but Jensen was a bit of a worry even before she knew his soulmates were Jin and Tōya. She didn’t want him getting himself into any trouble while she was technically responsible for him.

Hopefully they had enough sense not to disrespect her by fucking in her house.

 

Jake was left reeling just a bit from the information he’d been given.

“Well, damn,” he managed after a couple of minutes processing. “That’s… actually kind of cool.”

Jin and Tōya both relaxed, and Jake gave a little grin.

“I was never going to reject you ‘cause of all this,” he told them. “It’s a hell of a lot to take in, yeah, but it’s not a bad thing.”

“You will out-live your human family,” Tōya pointed out, and Jake sighed.

“I know. But out-living my sister and her kid just means I’ll be around to protect her grandkids and _their_ kids and then their descendants. So really I’ve got a chance to spend _more_ time with my family, not less.”

“…your mind is a weird, weird place,” Jin said finally.

“I know!” Jake grinned at the two, and Jin laughed even as Tōya gave a small smile and shook his head.

“Good, you’ve all still got your clothes on,” Genkai said from the doorway, and Jake gaped at her.

“Wait, what? Why wouldn’t we?” he blurted. “This is a freakin’ shrine, not to mention we just met today and the walls are like paper-thin.”

“Hm. Your buddy Alvarez was getting pretty hot and heavy with the fox outside, I wouldn’t have put it past you,” Genkai shrugged.

“Ew, did not need to know that about my best friend, nope, no, not gonna think about it – but yeah, no, Cougs is just a horny little bastard, plus, also, fox demon for a soulmate, aren’t they usually pretty big on the ‘sex and pleasure’ thing?” Jake rambled.

Jin was laughing again, and Tōya just gave a shake of his head and a tiny smile.

“Hm. Just keep it in your pants while you’re here,” Genkai said, and then left the room once more.

Jake slumped, blowing a long, low breath out his nose.

“Holy shit she terrifies me.” He straightened and looked to his soulmates. “So, how do you feel about a round of Twenty Questions?”

“That is acceptable,” Tōya agreed, and the three settled into more comfortable positions.

 

“…so, formerly human, now a demon because you died _twice_ before you were even sixteen, spent a few years in the demon world training and changing their entire social hierarchy, and now you’re back in the human world and working as a ramen chef of all things?”

“That’s pretty much it,” Yusuke agreed, lying down flat on the grass and folding his arms behind his head to stare at the sky.

“You’re a weird one.”

“Thanks, I think,” Yusuke snorted dryly. “How about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s your deal? I know you’re former spec ops, I know you got framed for something and now you’re on the run, but that’s not much in the run of things. What’s your story?”

“Ah, it’s not that interesting,” Roque snorted. “Troubled kid with a single parent, got into a lot of shit at school, went straight into the army when I graduated ‘cause otherwise I was gonna get roped into one of the gangs and probably shot before I was twenty. Been with the army ever since, workin’ my way through – was the second in command of our unit, codenamed the Losers. Then everything went to shit ‘cause our dickhead handler screwed us over. Our CO was gonna lead us all to our deaths, and I ain’t dying for his revenge.”

“…that sucks, man.”

“Yeah, no kiddin’,” Roque snorted. He shifted to lay down, staring at the sky with his arms behind his head as Yusuke’s were. “It’s not all bad, though. Jake and Cougs found their soulmates, Pooch isn’t gonna get himself shot before he gets home to his woman, I’m not gonna die for my former best friend’s stupid revenge kick… it’s looking good.”

“You got a warped idea of ‘good’,” Yusuke snickered. “You don’t have a soulmate?”

“I haven’t found them yet, as far as I know,” Roque shrugged. “But I make a point of not lying to people if I don’t know them.”

“I’m the opposite,” Yusuke admitted. “I lie to people first time I meet them, or try to. They can never tell I’ve tried to lie to them ‘cause my lies are usually close enough to the truth I don’t get called on it later.”

“Why the hell you telling _me_ that?”

“Because I tried to lie to you when we first met and I couldn’t. And I figured you had the right to know.”

 

Roque wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry, and continued staring at the sky.

“I… don’t… I don’t know how to react to that,” he admitted into the silence that had fallen.

“Don’t feel obligated to do or say anything,” Yusuke said in a mostly-calm tone. But Roque could hear the faint undertone of tension. “I never expected to find my soulmate, and I sure as hell don’t expect you to want me.”

“Ah, hell,” Roque sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “The only thing apart from a healthy fear of Genkai stopping me from trying for a hook-up the first day we met was your age. I’m in my thirties, and you’re not even twenty yet.”

“I’m not a kid, Roque. Haven’t been for years, if ever.”

“I know. I can tell. But… you’re only eighteen.”

“Nineteen.”

“Fine, nineteen. I’m thirty-eight. Twice your age.”

“Do I need to point out the fact I’m a demon?”

“You’re still only half my age.”

“Like that’ll matter in the long run,” Yusuke snorted. “Kurama’s over a thousand years old. Hiei and Yukina are reaching six hundred. All of us have a hell of a long life left in us.”

“All the more reason not to do this,” Roque scrubbed his hand over his face again, but his arguments were growing weaker.

“…when a demon mates with their soulmate, their life-forces link,” Yusuke said quietly. “If they make it an intimate relationship, your buddy Cougar will live as long as Kurama does, and age the same rate Kurama does. Kuwabara and his sister are mated to Hiei and Yukina, and will live as long as they do. Your pal Jensen, if he goes into an intimate relationship with Jin and Tōya, if the three of them decide on a triad mate bond, will live as long as they do.”

Roque remained silent.

 

Yusuke heaved a sigh and pushed himself to his feet, absently rubbing his chest at the ache of rejection starting to knot beneath his sternum.

“I’d never force or try to manipulate someone like that, let alone my soulmate,” he murmured, tilting his head back to look up at the sky. “If you don’t want—”

“That’s not it,” Roque interrupted. “It’s not that I don’t want you.” He sighed, and Yusuke turned to see the man rubbing his hand over his face again. “Damn it. Just… give me a bit to wrap my head around all this.” He waved a hand, the gesture somehow making Yusuke think he meant his teammates as well as the information Yusuke had just given him. “Give me a couple more days, let me sort my head out, and if you’re sure you want _me_ of all people, then we’ll see.”

Yusuke eyed him, then grinned and nodded, holding out a hand.

“Deal.”

Roque took the offered hand, only looking slightly surprised by the strength Yusuke showed in pulling him to his feet, and took a step closer once standing. Yusuke had to tilt his head right back, smile fading slightly, to keep his eyes on the man’s face. He couldn't help wondering what was going through Roque’s mind as the soldier moved right into his personal space.

His grin vanished entirely when a large and calloused hand took hold of his face, Roque’s gaze thoughtful as his thumb brushed across Yusuke’s lower lip. Yusuke was too stunned by the rapid change to react the way he usually would to someone encroaching on his space that way, just sucking in a sharp, surprised breath when Roque’s thumb tapped lightly against the middle of his lower lip.

“You’re too goddamn pretty,” Roque grumbled, and when Yusuke opened his mouth to protest the label – he was not _pretty_ , damn it! – Roque moved in stupidly fast and kissed him hard. Roque was a smooth fucker, that was for damn sure.

Yusuke decided he would protest the ‘pretty’ label some other time, because he was going to fuckin’ _relish_ this while it lasted. He pushed back, refusing to just be a passive participant, and fisted his hand in the front of Roque’s shirt as his eyes slid shut.

Yeah, this was good.

 

-0-0-0-

 

Wandering back to where she’d left Roque and the dimwit, Genkai came to a halt when she saw the two locked in a kiss that looked more like a fight. Yusuke had one hand clenched in the front of Roque’s shirt, and the human had one hand tugging Yusuke’s head back by his hair and the other on his hip. She couldn’t see Yusuke’s second hand, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she grumbled, shaking her head and turning to the forest. “I’m not running a fucking dating service.”

She blamed Kurama. If he hadn’t disappeared and found his soulmate, she wouldn’t be avoiding places on her own property. Nor would she be intimidating Baldok when that job was supposed to be one handled by her dimwit apprentice.

They’d better be respectful enough to not fuck in her house or on her property, though. She’d make sure they could never do so again if they did and she found out about it. And she _would_ find out about it.

Damn hormonal males.

**Author's Note:**

> I may add a bonus chapter with Pooch lamenting to Jolene about his buddies finding their soulmates, or Jake introducing Jin and Touya to his sister and niece. I'll see how I go.


End file.
